Sorry I’ve been a little MIA but I’ve had a bit of a whirlwind couple of weeks… last week my mom came in town and we hosted a baby shower for my sister (I’m going to be an aunt!). I’ve never hosted a baby shower before but it turned out wonderfelle-y if I do say so myself! I used Simplicity Papers for the invitations which had a sweet dahlia design similar to these but in pink/green… and we had fresh dahlias at the party to match!
Anyway, I’ve been pretty occupied with trying to decide on a wedding location/date but I think we’ve made some real progress. I never imagined my wedding or really knew what I wanted, but at first I thought I wanted a really small, intimate destination wedding somewhere near a beach. But… after spending hours and hours researching options and not finding anywhere that seemed perfect, we came to the conclusion that what I actually wanted was a modern, cosmopolitan wedding in a city other than D.C…
Nothing’s official until contracts are signed, but we’re getting married in October 2011! I’m obsessed with the reception venue – I came across this description while searching for potential venues and without even seeing the space I knew it was going to be the one!
“…feels a little like waltzing into the Manhattan townhouse of a good friend with impeccable taste, an unlimited budget, and a penchant for art and design. In this posh new high-rise hotel, every single surface and element fits together seamlessly so that one is flooded with a sense of comfort and a little awe at the beauty of it all. Here, sumptuous Italian furniture meets hand-blown light fixtures and a world-class art collection—and that’s just the beginning…”
I mean, seriously. How amazing does that sound :) I’ll share more once everything’s confirmed but here’s a sneak peak:
{do you recognize the location?}
More wedding updates later, but for now I’m celebrating my 26th birthday (otherwise known as Carnivelle) with some funfetti, dinner at Proof, an extra day off work (Monday is my actual bday) and some fabulous new sparkly shoes!
Thanks to my amazing fiance, I’m the proud owner of not 1 but 2 pairs of the sparkly Kate Spade Nell Flats – I truly could not decide which pair I wanted more, black (more practical) or pink (more fun)… but now I have both!
Happy Halloween everyone :)
Filed under: Destination Inspiration | Tags: Alila Villas Uluwatu, Bali, hotel, Jetsetter
It’s been awhile since I’ve featured a dreamy destination – I guess I got over the travel bug for a hot minute there, but after spending a few hours looking at villas in Mexico for an upcoming trip and doing some preliminary wedding research, I’m definitely back to swooning over luxurious locales… The other day I came across a deal on Jetsetter for the Alila Villas Soori in Bali that looked so perfectly relaxing and even better it turns out there are a number of Alila Hotels around the world that are all literally droolworthy…
Check out the Alila Villas Uluwatu in Bali:
{view a cliffside cabana – amazing}
{view of one of the cabanas and a private infinity pool}
{this eco-friendly hotel has an open plan so the villas open up right out to the outside… here’s the view from the outside in}
{and here’s the view from the inside out}
{and of course… there’s the beach!}
Plus a laid-back outfit perfect for a little exploring and a lot of relaxing! Lotta Stensson Kaftan, Monica Vinader Bracelet, Stella McCartney Bag, Bess Sandals
Definitely time for another vacation ASAP!
Filed under: Wonderfelle Wedding | Tags: engagement, rings, The Source, wedding
So in case you were anxiously waiting for the proposal story… here it is! On Saturday, Zach and I had plans to go to dinner with his friend Andy and his wife Sarah at one of my favorite restaurants, The Source. We had been trying to make plans to do something with them for awhile so I didn’t think it was anything other than a fun double date.
Dinner was delicious as usual (if you’re in DC and haven’t tried it, you really should!) and as we walked out of the restaurant I still didn’t suspect a thing! I was asking Andy and Sarah if they had valet parked when Zach pulled me aside like he want to ask me something privately. The next few moments are a little fuzzy but I think he started to say, “so we’ve been dating for a while now…” and I started freaking out, thinking ohmygosh is he proposing?! – but then our friend Kari comes out of nowhere and interrupts him! (she actually came out of her apartment building which was right next to the restaurant) She walked up and asked what we were doing there and I laughed because I didn’t really know what to say – but then I looked back at Zach and he was getting down on one knee and pulling out a ring and asking me to marry him and I wasn’t sure if it was really happening… so I think I said, “are you serious?!” followed by, “yes! yes! yes!” and definitely grabbed the ring out of his hand before he had a chance to put it on my finger!
I had told Zach awhile ago that I didn’t mind if other people were there when he proposed because I wanted someone to be there to take pictures when it happened… It was so random that our friend Kari happened to be there at the same time, but it was nice to have a girlfriend there to share my excitement with! Also, Zach had planned for Andy and Sarah to be there to take photos and I could not be more happy with the results!
These were taken right after the proposal in front of the restaurant (it happens to be where we went to dinner our first Valentine’s Day together years ago!) – then we went up on Kari’s roof to spend some time enjoying just being engaged and letting the whole “I’m really spending the rest of my life with the person I love the most and I’m so incredibly happy” feeling sink in…
Kind of funny with the grill in the picture, but we thought it was cool to see the reflection of the Washington Monument.
A big thanks to Andy and Sarah for the pictures! I know the lighting wasn’t ideal, but it means a lot to have photos to remember this night. I’m still giddy with excitement and can’t wait to really start planning our wedding!
Yup. I’m engaged!!!
Thanks for all of the sweet messages and tweets that some of you have sent me way. Zach proposed on Saturday and I’m so excited to start planning our lives together! More on the proposal story later – there should be some pretty sweet pictures since he planned it so our photographer friends Andy + Sarah were there for an engagement shoot as it happened! (sneak peak here)
{taken at my sister’s wedding last year}
For now I’m just enjoying having a fiancé and trying to decide where we want to get married!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Alexander Wang, bags, Balenciaga, Beauty, boots, bow, bracelet, Burberry, clutch, Deborah Lippmann, Dior, dress, fragarance, Gucci, heels, Hunter, Kate Spade, Oscar Blandi, Parker, Proenza Schouler, YSL
We had a gorgeous Saturday in DC this weekend so Z and I took advantage and walked to Georgetown for a little shopping. I finally got to try on the sparkly Nell flats I’ve been obsessing over (fit TTS, really comfortable, yay! Hopefully they’ll be making it my way come birthday time…) and we played with various scents at Sephora in search of a new fall fragrance. I’m really loving the seasonal transition at the moment – it’s actually going to be cold enough for tights this week! Here are a few other things I’m loving at the moment as well…
Deborah Lippmann new holiday colors Boom Boom Pow and Today was a Fairytale (hello, sparkle!)
Oscar Blandi Pronto Invisible Volumizing Dry Shampoo (my current fave dry shampoo, it’s actually invisible and smells great!)
Dior DiorShow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum (I’ve been using this for a couple months now as a primer under my mascara and also at night as a lash conditioner – I definitely notice fuller, thicker lashes. I don’t think they are particularly longer, but I also have short Asian eyelashes that don’t seem to want to grow…)
Gucci Guilty (after testing a number of scents, I think this is my new fall fave! Described as: “A sheer, floral-oriental fragrance, it opens with a bright burst of citrus and a dangerous hint of black pepper. This arresting introduction gives way to full-throttle femininity as its heart pulses with fruity and floral notes. The fragrance dries down to a rich, ambery base with notes of patchouli. The overall effect is young, stylish, and eminently wearable—a daring edge of sexiness and sensuality that captures the essence of Gucci.”)
Kate Spade Twirl capsule collection (inspired by the new fragrance Twirl, I’m especially loving the sparkly Twirl Karolina heels, Twirl Bow Cuff, perfectly red Twirl Lipstick, and festive Twirl Margie Clutch
Burberry quilted leather riding boots and Hunter Regent Savoy wellies (I’m finding quilted boots so chic right now – one pair for everyday wear and one for inclement weather, of course)
YSL Muse, Balenciaga 10th Anniversary Iridescent First, Proenza Schouler Large PS1, Alexander Wang Rocco Mini Duffle (I’m convinced my next splurge bag needs to be a color other than black or brown… right now I’m particularly attracted to iconic bags in shades of purple – despite the fact that the Wang bag color is called “ocean blue” is is most definitely a rich, dark purple. I spent a good 10 minutes petting it a Barneys this weekend – so not “me” but so pretty.)
Parker Double Flare Sleeve Dress (I don’t quite have it in me yet to cheat on my beloved DVF tabalah tunics but this dress is definitely close to being on the list of dresses-i-love-and-therefore-need-to-own-in-every-print-ever-created. I love the feminine, relaxed silhouette and how its perfect worn bare-legged and with tights/boots as it gets colder… It’s also on sale in cream!)
What are you loving this month?
